The places in Genoa where Niccolò Paganini resounds

An itinerary for discovering Genoa through the life and notes of Niccolò Paganini

There are places in Genoa where you can still hear the echo of the ‘Cannone‘, Niccolò Paganini‘s famous violin. These are the places where Paganini lived or where he performed, linked to his life, his genius, his madness. And following a Paganini itinerary is a great way to discover Genoa…

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The Teatro del Falcone in Via Balbi

The Teatro del Falcone, attached to the Royal Palace, was the first real theatre in Genoa. The first reports mention performances as early as 1645, while in the early 17th century, opera in music made its début in Genoa. Niccolò Paganini performed at the Teatro del Falcone on 9 November 1827 in the presence of King Carlo Felice.

Church and Oratory of San Filippo in Via Lomellini

With its rich wooden and marble carvings and a triumph of gilded stucco and late Baroque paintings, the Church and Oratory of San Filippo in Via Lomellini is important for the life and career of Niccolò Paganini. He first performed there as a soloist when he was only 11 years old. It was 26 May 1794 during the feast of the Saint. The worshippers listened to Paganini spellbound, and it was so successful that the concert was repeated the following year.

The Paganini Room at Palazzo Tursi

Palazzo Tursi, which houses the Genoa City Hall and the exhibition itinerary of the Strada Nuova Museums, exhibits Niccolò Paganini's favourite violin, the Guarneri del Gesù made in 1743 and nicknamed by the musician '”mio cannone violino” (my cannon violin) for the fullness of its sound. Paganini himself left in his will that it be handed over to the city of Genoa in 1851. Together with the 'Cannone', which is kept in special atmospheric conditions and played on rare occasions, there are letters, scores and other items that belonged to Paganini.

The Teatro Carlo Felice

Niccolò Paganini first played at the Teatro Carlo Felice on 30 November 1834, performing variations of 'Nel cor più non mi sento' and 'Il Carnevale di Venezia'. Another Paganini concert was held on 5 December 1834 with the proceeds benefiting poor families.

The Tower (Grimaldina)

Niccolò Paganini was imprisoned in May 1815 in the Tower, in the Palazzo Ducale, in Piazza De Ferrari, following a charge of 'rape and seduction' of Angiolina Cavanna, a young woman in her twenties with whom he had had an affair. This episode tells something about his personality: a tormented genius also capable of extreme and reprehensible gestures. A few years later, in 1835, however, Paganini returned to the Palazzo Ducale for a concert at a reception organised by the governor of Genoa.

Paganini’s house

The house in which Niccolò Paganini was born was located in Passo di Gattamora, no. 38, in the Colle neighbourhood near Via Madre di Dio (today Giardini Baltimora), an area that that was demolished following a decision in 1966 due to the severe damage suffered during the Second World War. A votive aedicule with a statue of the Immaculate Madonna was placed on the house, later transferred to the nearby St. Augustine Museum. In 2005, the Casa Paganini/InfoMus Lab, a centre active in the integration of new multimedia technologies and networked media, was opened in the former convent complex of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

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